e.l.f. Discovery
WHAT THE HECK ARE GYM LIPS?
By Jeanette Crutchfield
It’s been all over social media and it seems like everyone is talking about it. The newest lip trend. Gym Lips. But what the heck are they??? Get ready for an “Ohhhhhhhhh” moment... Gym Lips are simply a style of doing your lips that gives you a natural looking plump lips that you can wear anywhere, even... at the gym.
The Gym Lips trend was conceived by makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell who wanted a lip look that would make her feel amazing anywhere- even the gym, hence the name. It’s designed to help your lips look bigger, fuller, and more plump but in a more natural way rather than a lip filler, injections, needle sort of way. It’s the perfect alternative to a heavy lipstick look. The best part about the trend is that it’s super easy to do. In fact, you probably have the two products you need to do this look already in your makeup drawer (seriously, you only need two products!)
This look takes its inspiration from the overly lined and glossy lips of the 90s, just toned down a bit. The idea of making your lips look larger can be achieved by lining them just along the outer edge of your natural lip line and is a trick that’s been used since the beginning of makeup. However, where the 90s were all about a high contrast lip look using brown lip liner, the gym lips of today take it to a more natural route using a lip liner that is identical to your own lip color. Finding the right shade of lip liner can be a little tricky though. With all the shades of lip liner out there, you’ll find ones that are too pink or too beige or too “just not right”. You don’t want it to look like you’re wearing lip liner, but at the same time, you don’t want your lips to look pale and sickly. Once you’ve found your perfect shade, very gently and with feathered strokes, line your lips just along the outer edge of your natural lip line. Softly blend the liner into the lips so that your lips look slightly larger, but it doesn’t look like you’re wearing anything on them. This might take you a few tries to get it right as you don’t want to be heavy-handed.
The next step of gym lips also takes its cue from the 90s lip, but where the 90s were all about the craziest shiniest lip gloss, the gym lip is about a more hydrated dewy finish. It’s not about color so choose a clear or very sheer tinted lip balm in the color of your own lips. You can even use a lip mask instead to get some great hydration in there. Then go ahead and slick the balm on your lips straight from the tube. No need for a lip brush or any fancy tool or applicator. The combination of the overdrawn lip liner with the slight tint of the lip balm will give your lips a fuller more plumped appearance. It also makes it a very low maintenance lip as touch ups simply require another swipe of lip balm, no mirror needed.
Two products, two steps and your lips will look naturally bigger and fuller, healthier and dare we say more kissable. Try this makeup trend out when you’re running to the grocery store, headed to class, or even when you’re headed to the gym.